Improvement in spring air-pistols



G. A. WALKER.

SPRING AIR PISTOL.

No.179,984.-. Patented Ju1y18. 1876.

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I MPETBIS, FHOTO LITHGWIIEIL WASHINGTON. D, C.

UNITED STATES GEORGE A. WALKER, OF BOSTON, MASS, ASSIGNOR TQALLISON 0. SWEET, HENRY N. SHELDON, AND J. ROLLIN M. SQUARE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING AIR-PISTOLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. P7938 1, dated July 18, 1876; application filed March 18, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. WALKER,

of Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts, havev invented an Improvement in Air-Pistols, of which the following is a specification:

This improvement relates to means for closing the rear or breech end of the barrel of an air pistol or gun; and consists in the employ ment, in combination with the barrel and stock of a pistol or gun of such character, of a bolt playingwithin a longitudinal channel in rear of said barrel, and provided at its front end with a suitable packing, to insure a tight joint between it and the barrel, the bolt being susceptible of a semi-rotary movement upon its axis and a longitudinal movement in the plane of the barrel, and operating with a sloping abutment and channel in the stock, in such manner that the semi-rotary movement before named frees the bolt from the restraint of the abutment, while the channel permits ot a free and easy retraction of the bolt preparatory to inserting the projectile in the barrel.

The drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figure 1, a side elevation, in Fig. 2 a plan, in Figs. 3 and 4 vertical sections, .and in Fig. 5 a perspective, of so much of an air-pistol as requisite to properly illustrate the nature of my invention.

In the drawings, A represents the stock and B the barrel of an air-pistol,the chamber which contains the plunger being shown at G as created in the stock A and disposed below the said barrel. Upon the top of the stock A, and in rear of the barrel, 1 place a bolt, D, this'bolt sliding longitudinally within the bore a of a tube, b, affixed to the upper part of the said stock A, a space, 0, being left between the tube 12 and barrel B, to admit of ready insertion of a projectile in the rear of the said barrel. E in the drawings represents a handle affixed to and projecting laterally from the side of the bolt D while, in connection with this handle, I- create in the tube 1) a longitudinal channel or slot, 0, which terminates at front in a right-angular bend or branch, f, the rear side or abutment g of this branch f constitutin g'the means whereby the bolt is forced tightly up to and held against the barrel. The abutment g is disposed obliquely to the axis of the bolt D, in order that when the handle E is turned down into a horizontal position it shall wipe against said abutment, and by the latter be crowded forward in such manner as to force the bolt tightly up to and against the barrel.

The channel 6 permits the handle E, and with it the bolt, to be retracted in rear of the barrel to such a distance as to admit of insertion of the projectile in the latter.

To insure an air-tight joint about the rear end of the barrel, I secure to or form upon the front end of the bolt D a cup or receiver, h, to receive a block or disk, 41, of leather, india-rubber, or other elastic or semi elastic substance; and-when the bolt is crowded forward this packing is compressed between the bolt and barrel, and an air-tight'joint insured.

To make sure that the projectile is pushed into the barrel the requisite distance, I add to the front of the bolt 1) a teat, 1, whose point projects beyond it, or beyond the front surface of the packing "i. As the' bolt is thrown forward the teat Zstrikes the projectile and pushes it forward into the barrel a short distance beyond the front end of the bolt.

The operation of the above-described mechanism is as-i'ollows, it being observed that whcnthe bolt is forward against the barrel, and the breech closed, the shank of the bandleE is in a horizontal position upon one side the pistol, and against the abutment g. The operator grasps the handle E, and turns it and the bolt in the arc of a circle to such a distance that the shank of such handle coincides with the channel 6, when the handle and bolt may be and are withdrawn, the rear end of the barrel being thus exposed. A dart or other projectile is inserted in the bar- .rel, the bolt, by means of the handle, is pushed forward aga nst the barrel, and the handle returned to the position tirst'stated, the oblique or sloping abutment 9 serving to crowd the bolt or its packing closely up to the end of the barrel, asstated.

I claim In air-pistols, the combination, with the barrel B and air-chamber O, of the'bolt D, handle E, and irregular slot or channel 0, the bolt being provided at its front end with a suitable packing, and the whole arranged to operate substantially as and for purposes stated.

Witnesses: GEORGE A. WALKER.

F. CURTIS, W. E. BOARDMAN.

PATENT ()rrron. 

